Sunderland man loses eye after being hit by golf ball

Fiona Thompson

A FREAK golfing accident has left mechanic Glyn Teare with just one eye.

The 24-year-old was teeing off during a game with friends when the ball rebounded and struck him in the left eye.

He was taken to Sunderland Eye Infirmary and had 30 stitches in his eyeball, but days later he was told his eye would have to be removed.

The HGV technician, who works for TNT in Rainton Bridge Industrial Estate, today told how he is due to undergo an operation in the coming weeks to fit a prosthetic eye, which is being custom-made.

Glyn, a former Seaham School pupil, said: “I was on the fifth tee and drove off, but the ball came straight back at my eye.

“I was just shocked, rather than in pain.

“The first responder came and by the time we got off the course the ambulance was there and took me to the Eye Infirmary.

“They did an emergency operation but when I went back the next week they took it out as it couldn’t be saved.

“I was gutted, but my mam and dad took it worse. All my friends came to hospital and they were just gutted as well.

“I was a bit down about it, that I wasn’t going to be able to see out of that eye again, but really, you’ve just got to get on with it.”

Glyn, who lives with parents Joyce, 54, and Ray, 57, and has a brother Lee, 28, and partner Kelly Smith, 31, says he was stunned by the response from his loved ones who have helped him get through his ordeal.

Although Glyn would be entitled to a new eye on the NHS, he is now hoping to raise the £1,600 needed to buy the custom-made eye from a private clinic in Manchester.

The accident happened at Seaham Golf Club as he played with pals Steven Halliday, Grant Dixon and Jon Robinson.

Steven joined Glyn on a sponsored C2C bike ride last month, with some of funds they are collecting being donated to the eye infirmary.

Glyn added: “I wanted to make sure I gave them something back because they did so much for me.

“I want to thank everybody too. They’re too numerous to mention.”

Friends have since used the ball which caused his injury to create a trophy, nicknamed the Seaham Ryder Cup.

They will join him at an entertainment night at Dawdon Miners’ Welfare Club next Friday - August 5 - organised by Seaham charity Five Helping Hands, with the event almost sold out.

Tickets for Friday’s event are £5 and are available by calling Gary SAFC Lamb on 07880 732 078.